View full sizeTim LaBargeA visit to Cana's Feast in Carlton could also include lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch.

Only a few decades ago, the scenic hillsides and valleys linking the towns of Yamhill and Carlton were home to a flourishing timber industry. That's largely been replaced by a thriving commercial wine trade, which has literally taken root in the coarse-grained marine sediments that blanket the area.

The appellation, established in 2004, covers nearly 60,000 acres -- about 1,300 of it planted in wine grapes -- and lies about 35 miles southwest of Portland.

The Coast Range to the west forms a "rain shadow" that keeps annual rainfall lower than in surrounding growing areas. Combined with the buffering effects of the nearby Chehalem Mountains, that means grapes growing in predominantly south-facing vineyards are among the earliest harvested in the northern Willamette Valley.

Pinot noir made in the Yamhill-Carlton District typically is lower in acidity, deeper in color and higher in tannin than similar offerings from Ribbon Ridge or the Dundee Hills. Critics often describe Yamhill-Carlton pinot noir as rife with scents of black cherries, lavender and dark chocolate.

"We have enough winemaking experience now that wines made from our grapes reflect very distinctive flavor profiles," said Reuel Fish, whose Bishop Creek Vineyards was one of the first significant plantings in the area. "That sort of distinction is really what people are talking about when they describe the effect of terroir on wine."

Like surrounding AVAs, the Yamhill-Carlton District begins about 200 feet above the valley floor and extends to a peak of about 1,000 feet. Anything lower would force growers to deal with harvest-time frost, while elevations above 1,000 feet make ripening fruit difficult.